Town guide

Washington, North Carolina

Washington is a city in Beaufort County, North Carolina, home to about 9,726 people across 8.2 square miles. Its ZIP code is 27889, and parts of 27817 are in Washington too.

Homes sold for a median of $179 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.

Population9,7261,188 per sq mi
Median home value$206,800Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$179Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking14%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Washington

2 ZIP codes, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Washington. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Washington’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Washington

Distances

Nearest major airportRaleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)95 miles away
Closer regional airportPitt-Greenville Airport (PGV)14 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Raleigh, NC86 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Philadelphia, PA325 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Washington; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Washington

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Washington had 9,875 residents in the 2020 census, up 3% since 2000.

It’s the 99th largest of 771 towns in North Carolina by population.

Beaufort County grew from 26,404 residents in 1900 to 44,652 in 2020.

Washington population by census2000: 9,583, 2010: 9,744, 2020: 9,8759,58320009,74420109,8752020

Beaufort County, 1900–2020

Beaufort County population, 1900 to 20201900: 26,404, 1910: 30,877, 1920: 31,024, 1930: 35,026, 1940: 36,431, 1950: 37,134, 1960: 36,014, 1970: 35,980, 1980: 40,355, 1990: 42,283, 2000: 44,958, 2010: 47,759, 2020: 44,65226K’00’1031K’20’3036K’40’5036K’60’7040K’80’9045K’00’1045K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 34°F. About 53.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 1 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near WashingtonJan: high 53°F, low 34°F, 3.9 in; Feb: high 56°F, low 35°F, 3.5 in; Mar: high 63°F, low 41°F, 4.2 in; Apr: high 72°F, low 50°F, 3.4 in; May: high 79°F, low 60°F, 4.8 in; Jun: high 85°F, low 67°F, 4.9 in; Jul: high 89°F, low 72°F, 5.4 in; Aug: high 87°F, low 70°F, 5.7 in; Sep: high 82°F, low 65°F, 6.6 in; Oct: high 74°F, low 54°F, 3.8 in; Nov: high 64°F, low 42°F, 3.3 in; Dec: high 56°F, low 36°F, 3.6 in53°34°Jan3.956°35°Feb3.563°41°Mar4.272°50°Apr3.479°60°May4.885°67°Jun4.989°72°Jul5.487°70°Aug5.782°65°Sep6.674°54°Oct3.864°42°Nov3.356°36°Dec3.6Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Washington Wwtp 4w, NC weather station (4 miles away).

Jobs in Beaufort County

13,893 jobs at 1,138 businesses in Beaufort County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Beaufort CountyManufacturing: 3,041 jobs; Retail trade: 2,406 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 2,104 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 1,496 jobs; Construction: 1,281 jobs; Wholesale trade: 630 jobs; Other services: 569 jobs; Administrative and support: 478 jobsManufacturing 22% Retail trade 17% Health care and social assistance 15% Hotels and restaurants 11% Construction 9% Wholesale trade 5% Other services 4% Administrative and support 3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

305 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Washington.

Nearest hospitals

  • Ecu Health Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Greenville14.9 miles
  • Washington County Hosp INCCritical access hospital · emergency room · Plymouth30.0 miles
  • Ecu Health Bertie HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Windsor30.5 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors24
Specialist doctors38
Dentists16
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants76
Mental health providers108
Physical and occupational therapists23
Optometrists11
Chiropractors9
Pharmacies14

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Washington

Grocery stores

  • La Potosina3.3 mi
  • Food Lion3.6 mi
  • Walmart Supercenter4.3 mi
  • Food pride4.7 mi

Libraries

  • George H. And Laura E. Brown Public Library5.0 mi
  • Bhm Regional Library5.3 mi

Museums

  • North Carolina Estuarium5.4 mi

Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1776.

Colleges and universities

  • Beaufort County Community College

Notable people born here

  • Murray Hamilton (1923) · American actor (1923–1986)
  • William Churchill deMille (1878) · American screenwriter and film director (1878-1955)
  • Josephus Daniels (1862) · American diplomat and newspaper editor (1862–1948)
  • Ryan Zimmerman (1984) · American baseball player (born 1984)
  • Damien Wilkins (1980) · American basketball player (born 1980)

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Washington

Public schools here are run by Beaufort County Schools, Washington Montessori. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (7)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Eastern ElementaryWashingtonPre-K–1484Public6.2 mi
Washington MontessoriWashingtonK–12429Charter9.3 mi
John C Tayloe ElementaryWashington2–3382Public4.3 mi
John Small ElementaryWashington4–5379Public6.0 mi
P S Jones MiddleWashington6–8659Public5.9 mi
Beaufort Co Early College HighWashington9–13280Public10.2 mi
Washington HighWashington9–12794Public7.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Washington is

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Towns near Washington

All North Carolina towns →

Shares ZIP codes with River Road, Cypress Landing, Chocowinity and Washington Park.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.